Police intercepted a student at his home early last Thursday morning who reportedly intended to bring a gun to school that day. A report came in to the station at about 7 a.m. in reference to a text from a student stating that the police must be called right away.

Kyle Medrick

The text indicated that LAHS student Kyle William Medrick purchased a gun on Wednesday to take to Los Alamos High School Thursday.

According to the police statement of probable cause, Medrick, 18, also had threatened other students with knives as well as an 8-inch pair of scissors recently.

Superintendent Gene Schmidt praised the students who alerted police to the situation.

“I want to compliment those students who recognized the potential danger and contacted the police,” Superintendent Gene Schmidt said. “I want to thank them for being responsible and caring not only for this particular person, but for their classmates as well.

“This is a time in society when we want to respond to all concerns of potential violence and I applaud the police for their swift actions. The staff and this community really do hold student safety in high regard and we want to always respond quickly to issues that deal with possible violence.”

Police officers mobilized rapidly in spite of the fact that Thursday’s Bathtub Row standoff was in full swing.

“I was also informed that (a minor-aged student) had come into the station on Wednesday and reported that Medrick had pulled a gun on him,” said Cpl. Paige Early in the police report.

Cpl. Doug Ehler and Cpl. Brian Schamber drove to 42 La Paloma where Medrick resides in an effort to reach him before he left for school Thursday. Early and Sgt. Fred Rascon drove to LAHS to alert staff members.

The officers reported that while at the high school, a student came in to the main office and told police that he had been present at an incident in White Rock in which Medrick pulled a gun on one of his friends. He also said that during fourth period on Tuesday an argument broke out between Medrick and a female student.

He told police Medrick armed himself with an 8-inch pair of stainless steel scissors with a black handle and threatened the girl.

“We spoke to (the female student) who said she confronted Medrick about calling her a (expletive),” Early said in the report. “Upon doing so, she noticed that Medrick had the scissors in his hand. The (male student) told Medrick to drop the scissors and fight. Medrick did not drop the scissors and (the female student) also told him to drop the scissors as she backed away from him because she was scared of getting stabbed.”

Another student told police that he had been asked by (a minor male student) to call Medrick to meet at ‘hells hole” in White Rock, which is a cul-de-sac off Kimberly Lane who, according to the report.

The student said when Medrick arrived in his car; he approached the vehicle from the passenger’s side and was about to get in when he saw a gun. He described it as a black revolver, according to the police report.

By this time, two other students, who were hidden in the bushes, began approaching the car. The first student began yelling, “gun, gun.”

Medrick pulled the gun out and began pointing it at one of the students. The students took off running and Medrick left the area, according to the statement of probable cause.

Police placed Medrick into investigative detention and brought him to the police department. A consent to search was given for his car and home, according to the police report.

The scissors with the black handle were found inside Medrick’s car. Two guns, both identical 7.62-1895 Russian-black with wooden grips that matched the description given by one of the students also were found and brought in as evidence.

“Based on the witness statements and interrogation of Medrick, he was charged and booked for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a deadly weapon on school grounds and unlawful possession of a handgun,” Early said.

Medrick admitted arming himself with the scissors, saying he felt threatened, according the police report.
He also named two students that he said he felt threatened by, “because they were pounding their fists into their hands.”

Medrick told police that the problems began over the weekend when (a minor student) showed up at a party at which he was not invited.

Medrick said while at the party he armed himself with a knife, which he hid behind his back. The knife was taken away from him, he told police, and he left the party.

Medrick was questioned about the incident at “hell’s hole.” He told police that he was called by one of his friends to meet there, that he took the revolver with him and had it between his legs.

When he arrived, someone whom he did not know tried to get into the passenger side of the car, Medrick said adding that 30 people then came at him.

He told police that when he got home, because he was scared, he loaded a shotgun he had in his room, according to the police report.

Capt. Randy Foster expressed appreciation for how quickly corporals Paige, Ehler and Schamber averted the situation before it worsened.

“Their actions were particularly commendable in view of the fact that we had the Bathtub Row standoff occurring at the same time. We’d like to take this opportunity to let parents know that if they fear their son or daughter might become involved in some type of violent act that they can call us and we’ll do our best to help remedy the situation and avoid a potential tragedy,” Foster said.